The Fight Within
by carolina44
Summary: Continuation of the series...Sully and Michaela struggle to find their place within the Indian's plight while also dealing with some life threatening issues.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Michaela was sitting at her desk listening to the clock tick away the minutes while attempting to update her patients' records. Normally she looked forward to this task having always liked the feeling of accomplishment she gets when she finishes a record and places it in the correct position in the file drawer. Today, however, was another story. Her ability to concentrate had disappeared into thin air. Instead, her thoughts kept drifting back to her husband.

It never failed to amaze her that someone as kind and sincere as Sully would love her and want her the way he did. It warmed her cheeks to think of the way they were together when they found themselves alone. Just a simple touch or a look could set off flames inside her entire body. It embarrassed her that even thinking about him in the solitary confines of her clinic could bring a rosy blush to her cheeks.

As much as she wished she could leave the clinic in search of her husband, she knew it was impossible. She sighed as she realized that Sully had left to talk with Cloud Dancing, as he had been doing so frequently lately. Michaela knew that Sully was getting frustrated with the events surrounding the Cheyenne. It frustrated her as well but she understood that it reached a different level for Sully. She wished in every core of her being that there was something she could do for him, yet knowing that she had virtually reached the end of her rope. As much as she was frustrated for the Indians, she was also getting angry at them.

"Why am I thinking this way?" Michaela muttered to herself. "The Indians, aside from the Dog soldiers, have been nothing but kind to me and my family. Why am I upset with them?"

Yet, she knew deep down that she was simply resenting the time and energy the Indians were taking from her husband. Despite the fact that she had come to understand and accept the events that took her husband away from her for so many months the past year, she couldn't help but harbor a jealousy towards them.

"If only he didn't have to be away for so long," Michaela sighed to herself.

Standing up from her desk in order to stretch out the aches and pains that were making themselves known in her back, Michaela looked at the window. In the meadow, she could see her fair-haired daughter running around in circles with the other school children. Michaela was pleased that the older kids were kind and patient enough to allow her young daughter to participate in their fun. And it certainly made her life a bit easier not having to find something for Katie to do every minute!

Just before Michaela could return to her desk, she saw frantic movement coming from behind the schoolhouse. As she reached for her shawl to go outside to investigate she saw Horace running madly to her porch.

"Horace? What's wrong? Are you okay?" She asked quickly.

"Oh, me? No I'm fine. It's just that…well, it's Matthew?" Horace hesitantly said.

"Matthew? What? What's wrong? Horace, what happened?" Michaela desperately asked. The thought of her eldest son being injured taking her breath away.

Before Horace could answer, several men came walking up to the clinic as quickly as possible. Horace and Michaela quickly moved aside so that the men could take their precious load inside and laid Matthew down on the examining table.

Taking a deep breath, Michaela quickly brushed aside any fears and worries that the mother in her had. Instead, the doctor inside reigned. "Can anyone tell me what happened" She asked while gently checking Mathew for any broken bones and internal injuries?

"We was fixing the roof...it's been leaking lately. I dunno what happened but I sees him tumble right off the roof," a worried Robert E. explained.

"Alright, well, could someone ride out to the Chateau and tell Colleen that I could use her help this afternoon? Explain the situation ot Andrew and let him know that when he can clear his schedule to please come by." Robert E. nodded his head and quickly left to do as Michaela asked.

Michaela returned to her patient. Fortunately, it seemed as if Matthew got lucky and no broken bones were apparent. Rather, he did have some nasty bruises forming down the left side of his body. The only concern at the moment was the fact that he remained unconscious. This worried Michaela, who feared that he may have hit his head in the fall.

Michaela turned to the two men who remained in the clinic, Horace and Jake and quietly asked if they minded taking Matthew up to one of the recovering rooms. Before she even had time to gather up some water and compresses to take upstairs with her, Jake came barreling down the stairs.

"He's waking up! Dr. Mike, he's waking up!" Jake yelled, relieved that nothing appeared serious.

Michaela closed her eyes and silently said a prayer of thanks. Quickly, she rushed upstairs to confirm that her son was going to be ok.

Later that evening, late at night, Sully quietly opened the door to the homestead. As he stepped inside, he inhaled a deep breath, appreciating the warmth that emanated from the hearth and the aromas of a supper that had come and gone. He quickly shed his jacket and removed his muddy boots and silently padded over to the hob. He was grateful to Michaela for leaving some leftover stew for him, yet surprised that she was not downstairs waiting for him. He knew it was late, but not so late that his wife wouldn't be up. He shrugged his shoulders, figuring that Michaela was probably upstairs reading in their room.

Once he was finished consuming his late night meal, Sully slowly climbed up the stairs. As he opened the door to their room, he was surprised to see that Michaela was sound asleep in their bed. As he stood there looking down on her angelic face, he was reminded of their last conversation earlier in the morning.

"_Sully, I just don't understand…why do you have to leave again?" Michaela asked._

"_Michaela, how can you even ask me that? They need my help! How am I supposed to leave them alone? I'm the only one that can do what they need. I can't simply let it go!" Sully explains, exasperated that they were having this conversation yet again._

"_I guess…I just don't see why it always has to be you. You have a family that misses you. I miss you. I just don't feel like we see each other that much…it seems like you see the Indians more than me." Michaela tearfully whispered._

_Sully, standing in a defiant stance, was shocked. While he knew what she said was true, he couldn't believe Michaela was actually telling him to let the fight go._

_With a quick kiss on the cheek and a muttered goodbye, Sully grabbed his coat and walked out the door._

Michaela rolled over in her sleep, causing Sully to snap back to the present. He kneeled down by the bed, softly running his hand over her soft auburn locks. His heart swelled when he thought of his love for this woman. He knew they had their arguments (and some tended to be big ones!) but their connection was something that could never be broken. She allowed him to grow and become a better man. He would forever be grateful to her for allowing him to live life again, fully and happily.

Unable to control himself, Sully leaned down to kiss Michaela's soft full lips. With a moan, Michaela responded passionately in her sleep. Thinking this was a dream, Michaela imagined Sully running his hand down the length of her body causing her to stretch luxuriously. Sully smiled, realizing what his actions were doing to Michaela. He furthered his advances by running small quick kisses down her neck and with a few flicks of the wrist he opened up her night gown to kiss each of her breasts. Michaela, sighing again with complete pleasure, opened her eyes and with a gasp shot up into a sitting position.

"Oh my God!" Michaela explained, putting a hand to her heart trying to calm the frantic beating within.

"I'm sorry…that wasn't quite the way I wanted to wake you." Sully said sheepishly. He sat on the bed next to hear lightly running his hands down her back attempting to relax the tense muscles that had formed around her neck.

"Oh, no, don't worry about it…I just, I thought you weren't here…I was dreaming…" unable to go further due to the unbearable embarrassment that was rising within her.

Sully smiled, knowing his wife had trouble discussing such intimate matters. He leaned over and brought his lips to hers. Michaela, still warm and flushed from her dream, was quickly caught in his move. She immediately allowed his tongue access inside her mouth, their mouths captured in a timeless dance. Slowly, Sully crawled over his wife, causing her to lie back down over the soft bed. Drawing away from her briefly so that he could stare at her beautiful face, he smiled. In a soft whisper he said "I love you" and again bent down to capture her mouth.

Michaela reached up to tighten her hold on Sully's waist, frustrated by the barrier of clothes. Pulling his shirt from the waistband of his buckskins, she sighed with happiness when her hands were able to feel the warmth of his skin. She continued to tug at the shirt until Sully allowed her to pull it over his head. Sully continued his own exploration of Michaela's body by slowly unbuttoning her nightgown. As each button released its hold, he would run a line of kisses down the exposed skin. Once unencumbered, Sully focused his attention on each of Michaela's breast, drawing in her nipple into his mouth. Michaela sighed with pleasure as Sully ran his hand down the inside of her thigh then followed the trail with his mouth. She arched her back as he placed soft wet kisses at her center, teasing her with his tongue. Michaela urgently reached out, wanting to find Sully with her own hands and return the pleasure he was so seductively giving her. Yet, Sully moved out of the way and in one swift moment captured her arms over her head. Michaela thrashed on the bed, desperate to find release.

"Open your eyes, Michaela," Sully whispered into her ears.

Eyes wide with desire, Michaela stared into the depths of Sully's piercing blue eyes. She lifted her head, attempting to capture his mouth with hers, yet he avoided her again.

"Sully, please…I need you," she whimpered.

"And I need you," he replied. Holding onto her wrists with one hand, Sully swiftly discarded his buckskins over the side of the bed. Nearing the brink of desperation, Michaela continued to buck against the bed, frantic for her husband.

Now that he was free, he lowered himself onto Michaela so that they could feel each other all down their lengths. Seeing the pleasure and frustration in his wife's eyes, he lowered his hand down to her center. With one finger and then two, he brought her over the edge. As she cried out with pleasure, he slowly entered her.

With a gasp, Michaela opened her eyes again. While staring into her husbands the two begin to move together at first slowly and then as the pleasure mounted between them frantically. Sully grabbed Michaela by the waist and pumped himself enter until they finally both reached the pinnacle of their desire. Together, the came and as Sully spilt himself inside her, Michaela whispered "I love you"

Spent and exhausted, Sully and Michaela remained in the same positions until Sully gathered enough strength to roll over on to the bed, drawing Michaela to his side. Running his hands through her hair, they waited until their breathing returned to normal.

Michaela, with her head resting in the nook of Sully's shoulder, slowly drew circles on Sully's chest. Neither of them wanting to break the silence, yet both had so much to say.

"How was your day?" Sully asked

"How was Cloud Dancing?" Michaela asked.

Both laughed waiting for the other to respond.

Michaela was the first to reply. "Oh it was fine, although we had a bit of a scare this afternoon."

"Why? What happened?" Sully asked.

"Oh, Matthew fell off the school house roof while he was helping the Reverend and the other men and town do repairs." Michaela replied.

"Is he ok? Where is he?" Sully sat up in bed, worried about Matthew.

"It's ok, he's fine. Just a bit banged up and I think his ego is a little bruised. He's quite fortunate. It could have been much worse than it was. I let him go back to his place after dinner once I was sure that he was indeed fine."

Softly stroking her hair, Sully responded, "I'm glad he's going to be ok. I'm sorry I wasn't there."

Michaela simply shrugged her shoulders unable to reply. Tears threatened to form in her eyes. A lump grew in her throat and, unable to stop herself, she choked out a sob.

"Michaela? What's wrong?" Sully asked.

"Oh nothing. Don't worry about. Just a little emotional…the events of the day and all," Michaela casually responded.

Sully, unable to think of anything to say, continued to run his hand through Michaela's auburn tresses. He knew what his wife was thinking. They were both drawn back to their early morning conversation. He should have been there. He should have been on the roof not Matthew. He should have been by Michaela's side when she was checking on Matthew's injuries. What if it had been something serious? He was no where near where someone could have found him. Just as his guilt was starting to get the best of him, his frustration began to grow. What was he to do? He couldn't leave his brother in his time of need. Cloud Dancing saved his life. He owed it to him to do everything in his power to save his Cheyenne family. Michaela just didn't understand that anymore. Angry, Sully stopped his hand and rolled over onto his side.

Michaela, still fighting back the tears that loomed in her hazel eyes, stilled when she felt Sully roll over. The unspoken tension between them grew every day. How could a perfect evening end like this? She just didn't know what to do. She always thought that conversation would solve their problems but no amount of discussion seemed to find a solution to theirs. Instead, they just seemed to grow more at odds with each other, ultimately deciding that it was best if they avoided the topic altogether. With a sigh, Michaela pulled herself out of bed and found her nightgown. Pulling it over her head, she reached for her robe and made her way downstairs.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Sully awoke as the rooster crowed and the sun was making its early appearance in the sky. Rolling over, he reached out to find his wife and was startled when all he met was an empty cold bed. Sitting up, he ran his hands through his hair as the nights events returned to his memory. With a sigh, he got out of bed, dressed, and went downstairs to see what Michaela was doing.

As he climbed down the stairs, he mentally thought of what he was going to do today. He really needed to talk to Michaela again about the Cheyenne. There was a big Indian conference at the end of the week that Cloud Dancing wanted him to go to. They hoped that by having a white man on their side, Sully could possibly convince those in the government to stop the war on the Indians. The only problem was it would require Sully to be away from the family for an extended amount of time. Sully knew that it wasn't going to be easy telling Michaela.

As he reached the last step, he was surprised to see that Michaela was still sound asleep in the wingback chair. Usually when she left the bed after a fight, he would find her wide awake, busying herself with every day chores. He went into the kitchen and put a kettle on the hob thinking that the noise would wake Michaela. When it didn't, he returned to the chair. Placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, he whispered "Michaela? It's time to get up."

Sound asleep, Michaela jolted when she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder. Dazed and confused by her surroundings, she looked around with bleary eyes. Once she determined that she was downstairs, she looked up and saw Sully staring at her with concerned eyes.

"Are you ok? I can't remember the last time I saw you sleep in this late." Sully asked.

Michaela slowly stood up, easy her aching joints out of the chair. "Hmm? Oh, yes, I'm fine, just a bit sleepy this morning." She replied. In fact, she felt exhausted. Assuming it was from the events of last night plus the previous day's excitement taking its toll on her, she simply shrugged her shoulders. She accepted the fact that today was going to be another long day.

Sully eyed her cautiously. Dark circles made themselves known under her eyes and Michaela appeared to be moving stiffly.

"Well, why don't you go upstairs and get dressed? I'll start breakfast."

Michaela nodded, relieved that they weren't going to immediately rehash the discussion of last night. While upstairs, Michaela sat down on the bed, thinking about what she was going to wear for the day. Tired, she looked out the window. Deciding that it was still relatively early, she slowly lowered herself back onto the bed. Just a few more minutes of rest, on a comfortable bed, would rejuvenate her for the rest of the day.

As Sully cracked some eggs and put some bacon on the stove, he hummed to himself. While Michaela was upstairs getting dressed, he had busied himself by tidying up the remains of last night's dinner and even had time to milk the cow and gather the eggs. Hoping that doing these extra chores would put Michaela in a good mood, Sully smiled. It would certainly be easier to tell her about his upcoming trip if she was happy!

At the sound of footsteps on the stairs, Sully turned expecting to see his beloved wife. Instead, he was surprised to see Brian climbing down with Katie in his arms.

"Good morning Brian. And good morning to you Kates." Sully said as he reached out to grab his giggling little girl.

"Hey Sully. How are you this morning?"

"Oh good. What are you up to today?"

"Well, I was planning on heading to the Gazette since school is still closed. I wanted to talk to Miss Dorothy about my plans for next year."

Sully, who was preparing Katie for breakfast, stopped what he was doing and turn to Brian.

"Oh? And what have you been thinking of doing? I didn't realize that you were seriously considering anything yet." Sully said, a little hurt that he had missed out on such an important conversation.

"Nah, it's nothing. Ma, Miss Dorothy and I have been discussing whether I should look at colleges or look for an apprenticeship in Denver. There ain't many weeks left in the school year so it's now or never with the decision making." Brian said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Hey, where's ma?" Brian asked, hoping to change the topic of conversation.

"Hmm? Oh, you know, I'm not sure. She went upstairs to get dressed a while ago. I'm surprised she's not down here. She probably just got distracted or something. Would you mind watching Katie while I went upstairs to check on her?"

"No not at all."

And with that, Sully bounded up the stairs to see what his wife had been up to this entire time. As he cracked open the door to the room, he was startled to find Michaela in the same position he had found her in last night, sound asleep in the bed. He kneeled down, running his hand along her body.

"Michaela? Honey, it's time to get up. Michaela?" He gentle said.

Michaela turned her head to the sound but was unable to open her eyes. "Hmm?"

"Michaela, come on, it's morning. Time to go to work." He kissed her cheek and gentle shook her once again.

With every effort in her being, Michaela opened her eyes to peer in her husbands. "What time is it? Can't I just sleep in for a little bit longer?" She asked while stretching her body.

"Sorry, but it's already pretty late. You'll be late to work if you don't get moving. I've got breakfast ready downstairs."

The sound of breakfast, had Michaela paling and she opened her eyes. "I'd much prefer to sleep a few more minutes than eat. I'm really not that hungry"

"Michaela, is everything ok? This just isn't like you." Sully asked unable to hide the worry in his eyes.

"No I'm fine…we're all allowed to have our lazy days aren't we? I'll be ready shortly. Why don't you go hitch up the wagon. I'll be down."

Sully stood up still staring worriedly at his wife. Clearly this morning was not the right time to discuss his trip. Wondering what had gotten into her, Sully made his way downstairs to finish the morning chores.

Later that morning, Michaela finished examining the little Pottery boy. As she led him and his mother out of the clinic, she leaned up against the post. Unable to understand what was causing her to be so tired, she closed her eyes only to be startled a few moments later by Dorothy shaking her shoulders.

"Michaela?"

"Oh, Dorothy! I'm afraid you must have caught me daydreaming. I'm sorry. How are you doing?" Michaela asked, a bit flustered by having been caught sleeping on the job.

"I'm fine. I was hoping you'd come to Graces with me for Coffee and pie."

"Well, I don't have any patients schedule for an hour so that sounds perfect to me. Let me just go grab my shawl."

Once they were settled at a table at Graces, Michaela turned to Dorothy. "So how are things going? I heard that Brian was going to talk with you more about his plans."

"Yes, he came by this morning. We may get a chance to talk some more later too once the next edition gets under way. Michaela, Brian has such potential. He's a natural newspaperman. I really hope that he continues with this career. He can do so much."

"I agree. It's nice to see your children find something that gives them joy and fulfillment. I only hope that it doesn't require him leaving so far away. Once Colleen and Andrew leave for Philadelphia, well, I just can't imagine not having all of my children near me," Michaela responded, tearing up in the process.

"Oh Dr. Mike, don't worry. I'm sure Brian won't be traipsing off to the east coast. Especially since he has his eye on the Sarah girl." Dorothy replied with a bit of a grin on her face. "Is there something else bothering you?"

"Oh no. I've just been a bit emotional lately. I think things are just starting to catch up with me."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Well, things between me and Sully have been a bit strained. We've just been at odds for a while."

"About what? You and Sully are wonderful together. I'm sure you can straighten whatever it is out. What have you two been arguing about?"

Always one to be uncomfortable with discussing personal issues, Michaela turned her head. "The Indians. We just can't seem to agree on our role. I'm sorry…"

Dorothy nodded her head, immediately understanding the issue. "No need to be sorry. We all have our reasons for believing things. You and Sully just need to be patient. Things will fall into place." She answered, hoping that she was right.

"Yes. I'm sure you're right. I just wish it would happen sooner rather than later."

After saying good bye to Dorothy, Michaela walked into the clinic feeling refreshed and ready for the afternoon. After such a sluggish morning she was hoping that she could get caught up on all the work that was piling on her desk. However, the tension returned to her shoulders as soon as she saw Sully sitting on the floor fixing the loose leg of her examining table. Her conversation with Dorothy echoed in her mind. While she knew that she and Sully needed to talk, she again simply felt completely drained and unprepared for that task. Before she gear herself up for the particular conversation, Sully noticed her standing by the door. Quickly, he stood up and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Hey. How are you doing this morning? You're still looking a bit pale," Sully said, eyeing her warily.

"Oh I'm fine. I was just at the café with Dorothy. It was nice to take a bit of break. I think I was just having an off morning."

"Well, good. Remember to take it easy, especially since you do have Colleen and Andrew's help. You don't need to go around saving the world alone."

"I know I know. I'm fine," Michaela said, starting to get annoyed with this unnecessary attention.

Realizing he was making Michaela upset, Sully decided to change tactics. Taking a deep breath, he turned back towards Michaela.

"Michaela, do you have a moment?"

"What? Oh, yes, I suppose. My next patient isn't for another fifteen minutes. Why? What's wrong?"

"Well, um, you see, there is a conference between the Indian tribes up in the Dakotas. Cloud Dancing thinks it will be good for me to go to get all the different perspectives of the tribes. I have to leave tomorrow." Sully said all in one breath. He looked at his wife, expecting her to fly off the handle with anger. Instead, she simply turned away from him and shrugged her shoulders.

"Michaela? Did you hear me?"

Standing by the window looking out at the town, Michaela responded softly, "yes, I heard you. If that's what you think you should do then I won't stand in your way."

Before Sully could say anything else, the bell rang by the door indicating that a patient was waiting. Sully knew that the opportunity for further discussion on this matter was over. While he was thrilled that the two of them didn't get into an argument, he was concerned by the lack of fire in Michaela's eyes. It was as if the light had gone out.


	3. Chapter 3

Later that evening after the dinner dishes had been cleared Michaela sat in the wingback chaired and stare listlessly at the fire while her little girl played merrily at her feet. Brian had retreated to his bedroom to work on a new article for the Gazette and Sully had gone outside to the barn in order to gather up the necessary supplies for his long trip. Lost in her thoughts, she jumped when she felt Katie attempt to climb up into her lap seeking the comfort of her mother's love. Softly running her hands through her daughter's blonde hair she quietly began singing a lullaby.

Sully opened the door to the homestead and clapped his hands together attempting to get the circulation going. It certainly was going to be a cold one tonight! Glad that he was finished getting his supplies over, he looked around for Michaela hoping that they would be able to enjoy each other's company before he had to leave early in the morning. Seeing her in the chair by the fire he quickly moves near her and smiles when he sees she and Katie dozing together.

Sensing someone near her, Michaela shakes herself awake. Seeing her husband, she smiles.

"Have you gathered everything you needed? I made some sandwiches in the meat safe that you can take with you."

"Thank you. I think I got everything. Now what about you? Are you still tired?"

"A little. I think I may be coming down with a catarrh or something. It is the season for such things and so many patients have been coming to the clinic."

"Well, let's get you and this little one to bed then. And promise me that you will take it easy while I'm gone."

At the mention of him being gone, the tension again made its presence known in her stance. She simply nodded and stood up, handing Katie to her father. She leaned over and kissed him goodnight.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, Michaela sits alone on the bench outside of her clinic wiping the tears from her eyes before the nosy townspeople started asking questions. As she prepared to go back inside the clinic to begin work, Brian comes walking around the corner.

Seeing the red eyes and tear stained cheeks he asks "Ma? What's wrong? Are you ok?"

"Hi Brian. Of course, I'm fine. I just hate saying goodbyes. He only left an hour ago and I already miss him." Dr. Mike responded, obviously referring to Sully.

With a sigh, she pulled herself up from the bench only to be engulfed with the most horrendous feeling of nausea. Before Brian could do anything, Michaela turned on her heal only to run into the clinic and empty the contents of her stomach in the basin.

Peaking inside the doorway Brian softly says, "Ma? Um, I'm going to go get Andrew"

Before Michaela can protest, Brian is out the door running towards the Chateau.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In one of the recovery rooms in the clinic, Michaela lies sleeping peacefully. Both Colleen and Andrew stand at the door staring at her trying to figure out what could possibly be wrong with the good doctor. Michaela rarely is sick so this is certainly a cause to worry about.

"Will she be alright?" Colleen whispered to Andrew.

Andrew put his arm over his wife's shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Of course. I think she just caught some type of virus. Nothing that a little rest won't cure." Yet despite the confidence in his voice, a flicker of doubt flashed in Andrew's eyes. He wondered if there wasn't something more that was causing this illness.

On seeing her mother stir in her bed, Colleen quickly went to her bedside and placed a cooling cloth upon her mother's forehead. Michaela opened her eyes and attempted to sit up only to meet the resistance of Andrew's hand as he gently pushed her back down. While he listened to her pulse and heartbeat, Andrew asked Michaela how she's feeling.

"A little nauseous and exhausted. How long have I been sleeping?"

"Just over an hour. I don't believe it's anything serious but I'd feel better if you stayed here for the night so that I can keep you under observation."

"That's ridiculous. I'd feel much better at home. I'll be fine. It's just one of those days." Michaela said, trying desperately to keep the determination alive in her voice only to face complete exhaustion.

Seeing her ma's eyes flutter close again, Colleen bends down and whispers "It's ok ma. You just rest now. We'll talk when you feel better."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sitting up in bed reading a medical book and looking much better than earlier that afternoon, Michaela smiled when she saw Dorothy enter the room.

"My, you are looking much better this afternoon. I'm glad to see you are listening to Andrew and resting." Dorothy said, sitting in the chair beside the bed.

"Well, I'm feeling much better. Perhaps a lazy day in bed was just what I needed."

"Good. Now where is that husband of yours? I expected him to be hovering at your bedside!"

At the mention of her husband, Michaela was unable to stop the tears that started to stream down her face.

"Michaela? What on earth is wrong?"

"He's not here!" She wailed defeatedly. Sobbing, Michaela went on to explain the situation between her and Sully.

Dorothy eyed Michaela, surprised to hear that Michaela didn't explain her true feelings to her husband. The Michaela that Dorothy knew was head strong and confident in her feelings. "Michaela? Why didn't you tell Sully how you truly felt?"

"Oh, he knows. We've had this discussion before so many times. He knows exactly how I felt. But it doesn't matter. We've reached a breaking point. There is no way to compromise in this matter. One of us simply has to give up and I guess this time it's me. I was just too tired to argue. It was easier just to let him go, especially if that is what he truly wants."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bright and early the next morning, Colleen walked into her mother's room to check and see that she was still sleeping. Yet, instead of seeing her mother in the bed, she discovered a freshly made bed with a note sitting on top of the pillow. Reading the note, Colleen discovered that her mother had left for home feeling the need to be there for Brian and Katie. Colleen shakes her head in frustration. _Why can't ma ever let other's take care of her for once?_ With the note in her hand, Colleen rushed out of the room in search of her husband. She had a trip to take to the homestead.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, at the homestead, Michaela struggled to keep herself busy in order to take her mind off of Sully. She missed him, with all of her heart. She missed the way they used to be together, the way they were together when they let go of the outside world. Now that he was gone, she only wished for him to come home so she could wrap her arms around them and ignore all that was bothering them. She imagined them retreating to the privacy of their own room, whispering words of love in each other's ears, running their hands down each other's bodies, sharing their enthusiasm.

With a smile on her face, Michaela looked around the homestead to see what else she could do. After being so exhausted yesterday she felt a renewed sense of energy and life running through her. Brian had left a little while ago to go fishing with some friends and Katie was down for a nap leaving her free to do as she pleased. Seeing a few stray blocks of Katie's in the hallway, Michaela bent down to pick them up. But as she straightened, she was met with a wall of dizziness causing everything around her to move and sway. Grabbing the nearest thing to her, Michaela tries to steady herself but is unable to find a grip. Instead, she tumbles backwards to find herself falling helplessly down the hard wood stairs.


	4. Chapter 4

_Michaela screams Sully's name as the Dog Soldiers brutally pull her away from him. Throwing her over their horse, they prepared to leave. "Sully!" 'I will find you Michaela!" But then she finds herself at the reservation witnessing the destruction that the Indians and soldiers had caused, realizing that her husband was indeed apart of the catastrophe. Yet, the pain overwhelms her and she clutches her stomach while trying to find purchase on the bed. The pool of blood on the bed only confirms her worst fear, that she lost Sully's baby. Sully…where are you?_

Gasping for breath, Michaela opens her eyes attempting to sit up only to find that her body was racked with pain. Realizing that she needed to move gingerly, Michaela allowed the doctor within her take over. She individually assessed the damage of each limb. Aside from some major bruising along her hip and stomach, she was fortunate to escape with what seemed like just a broken leg. Despite this reassurance, she was still unable to fully sit up on her own. The pain in her abdomen made her gasp and brought tears of pain to her eyes.

In the distance, Michaela became aware of the fact that Katie is crying out. "My fall probably scared her," Michaela thought to herself. Not knowing what to do or how she could help her baby girl, panic began to creep into every fiber of her being. Ignoring the white hot flash of pain that coursed through her body, Michaela dragged herself up towards the stairs. Taking each one slowly, she tries to bring herself to the top so that she could offer words of comfort to Katie.

Halfway to the top, breathing heavily and sweating profusely, all the energy drained out of her. Michaela looked up at the top step, which now seemed so incredibly far away, trying to fight the blackness that was attempting to overtake her vision. Finally, unable to stop it, Michaela submitted to the unconscious world, releasing her grip on the step and falling lifelessly to the ground again.

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Whistling to himself, Brian hopped up onto the porch of the homestead. He swung his pile of fish over his shoulder, pleased that he had such a lucky day at the river. Throwing the door wide open, he looked around for his mom, expecting to see her playing with Katie or reading a medical journal. Instead, what he saw scareed him more than anything ever did in his life. His mother was lying unconscious on her back at the base of the stairs. Vivid bruises had already started to form all along her head and arms, and her leg was in an unnatural position. Shaking, Brian stood up and prepared to ride into town in order to find help.

As he pulled his horse out of the barn, Brian is relieved to hear the clamber of an incoming wagon. Relief flooded Brian, he ran as fast as he could toward the wagon yelling for help, not knowing who it was or caring for as long as they could help his mother he would be eternally grateful.

Colleen and Andrew immediately pulled the wagon to a stop, terrified after seeing Brian frantically waving his arms for help.

"Brian! What on earth is wrong?" Colleen said, climbing down from the wagon with the help of her husband.

"Ma, it's ma. She…I don't know…she's hurt..inside. I was fishin' and she's not speaking. It looks bad…" Brian responded, out of breath from fear and exertion.

Without hesitating, Colleen and Andrew rushed inside. Seeing her ma in that condition brought tears to Colleen's eyes. Andrew, being the calm and collected doctor that he was, immediately took stock of the situation, lightly running his hands down Michaela's limbs in order to determine the severity of the situation.

On a moan, Michaela opens her eyes in even more pain. Andrew realizes that it is likely that she has several broken ribs probably causing her breathing to be painful. After a few moments, Andrew determines that they can move her, especially since she was awake albeit groggy and uncomfortable.

Colleen went outside to pad the wagon with as many blankets and pillows as she could find while Andrew and Brian carried her slowly outside. Colleen climbed up with Katie in her lap while Andrew takes the reigns.

"Brian, go get Matthew. Tell him what happened. Someone should probably find Sully." Colleen said.

"No!" Michaela yelled as forcefully as her weakened body would allow.

"Ma?" Brian asked.

"Don't get Sully. No need to disturb him. He'll be back soon…I'll be fine." She responded softly.

Brian shrugged his shoulders and quickly saddled his horse. He wasn't quite sure what to make of the current situation. Competently he rode off towards his brother's homestead.

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While Andrew and Colleen got Michaela settled in the clinic with the help of Jake and Hank, Brian arrived at Matthews. Nearing the end of his rope, Brian explained the situation to his older brother.

"I don't understand, Matthew. Why doesn't she want Sully to be here? She's in an awful lot of pain," Brian asked, worried about his ma.

Understanding a bit more of the situation than his younger brother, Matthew absorbed what he had just learned. "Well, little brother, Sully is only a days ride ahead of me. I'm going to go out and see if I can catch up with him. If I can't, then I will simply come back and we'll wait for Sully to either contact us or come home. Brian, if ma asks, tell her that I had to go to Denver for a new trial."

"Ok. I can do that. Thanks Matthew," Brian said, relieved that someone was taking control of this horrible situation.

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At the clinic, Colleen gave her Ma some chloroform in order for Andrew to properly set her leg. As worried as she was about her mother's injuries, Colleen understood that her mother was incredibly lucky not to be needing surgery. Andrew quickly goes through the procedure of setting the bone and wrapping the leg in order for it to heal properly. Studying his mother in law, he takes in her appearance. Bruising, some quite nasty, and some broken ribs appeared to be the bulk of the problems now that the leg was taken care of. However, he still wanted to give Michaela a complete exam once she woke up. Finished with the task at hand, Andrew turns to his wife. Upon seeing her pale face and shaking hands, Andrew put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Everything is going to be ok, Colleen. She's just a little banged up. Your ma is strong. She won't let this get in the way of anything."

"I know but how did this happen? It's not like ma to have accidents like this."

Andrew squeezes her shoulder but hides the concern in his own eyes. He is also worried and hopes that he will gain some more answers once he can talk to Michaela and exam her fully.

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Later, as the sun was setting, Michaela opened her eyes slowly. She was startled as she saw the objects of her recovering come into focus once again this week. Slowly though the events of the morning came crashing back causing her to choke back a sob. At the noise, Colleen turned from the window she was staring out of and rushed to her side.

"It's ok ma. I'm here." Colleen said, placing a soft hand to her mother's brow.

"What happened? Katie?"

"Katie's fine. She's with Grace right now. It seems that you fell down the stairs, ma. Brian found you earlier this morning. Do you remember what happened?"

Michaela shook her head, clearly in pain. "I don't know…I don't know."

Colleen rose from the bed so that she could alert Andrew of the changes, while also hoping that maybe he could find the answers that Michaela clearly didn't want to share. Before she could even leave the room, she heard footsteps. Colleen looked up to see her husband, who had a smile on his face on seeing that Michaela was wide awake.

"Micheala? How are you feeling?" Andrew asked, while pulling out his stethoscope to listen to her heart.

"Mmm…sore. Everything hurts," Michaela whispered.

"I can get you some more morphine to help control that. While you're awake though, I'd like to conduct a full exam."

Michaela nodded knowing that there was no way that she could fight that one considering her present condition. Gathering his supplies, Andrew exams her pupils, the bruises, her head, and pulse. While doing this, he asked Michaela if she remembers anything.

"I was cleaning…trying to keep busy. I reached down to pick up Katie's toy when I felt dizzy. I couldn't find anything to hold onto and I…I…lost my balance. The next thing I remember is waking up here." Michaela answers, struggling to remember the details.

Andrew's forehead creases, clearly he is going to have to deal with Michaela's injuries plus the underlying cause, most likely related to the illness that kept her in bed the day before.

Andrew's hand came down to her abdomen and he gently pushes to determine any internal injuries. Just as he pressed, Michaela screams out in agony.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Michaela moaned weakly.

Quickly, Colleen rushes to her side, bring a pan with her. She places some cooling cloths on Michaela's feverish brow.

At this reaction, Andrew lifts of Michaela's blouse so that he can visually determine the damage to her abdomen. Clearly several of her ribs were broken; perhaps they were pushing on one of her organs. Yet, as he continued to press lower, the pain increased leaving him to realize that the broken ribs were not the source of this current problem. With a brief glance at Colleen, Andrew rearranged the blankets so that he could do a full exam. Michaela tried to protest but realized that it was like talking to a brick wall. Andrew prepared himself but was shocked and worried when his hand met blood.


	5. Chapter 5

Sully pulled his horse to a stop as he looked out at the amazing scenery that the Dakotas held. While turning toward his brother he asked, "Cloud Dancin' I don't even have the words to describe this."

"Yes. The spirits talk here. Beauty is around us. But there is also danger," he replied.

"Danger? You mean, the army, wild animals?"

"I do not know. The spirits simply tell me that there is danger around us. I cannot tell what it means."

Sully stared at Cloud Dancing with a worried look on his face. He has known his brother for too long not to realize that Cloud Dancing was often right. He wondered what this danger had to do with. In the back of his mind, he thought of Michaela and the defeated look in her eye as she said goodbye. _Something just isn't right with her. Things aren't right with us. When I get home, I promise that I'll stay for a while and try to get things back to normal. I miss her_.

And with a swift kick of his foot, Sully and his brother started moving down the trail at a swift pace.

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"What's wrong? Andrew? Colleen?" Michaela asked, worried after seeing the look of shock and fear dance across her son in law's face.

Quickly, Andrew glanced at his wife. With that one small gesture, Colleen knew immediately that she needed to distract her mother. Going toward her side, Colleen grabbed her mother's hand and stroked her forehead. Andrew then proceeded to finish the examination, trying desperately to gain control of the situation that was rapidly getting worse.

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Several hours later, Michaela began to stir once again in bed. As she opened her eyes, she noticed the furniture of the recovery room and was immediately brought back to reality. _Oh my God. What happened? Why had Colleen and Andrew looked so terrified? _ As panic started to set in, she heard the door open and Colleen enter the room.

"Ma? Are you awake?" Colleen whispered, afraid to wake her mother from her peaceful slumber.

"Hmm? Colleen? Yes, I'm awake. What happened? Is everything ok? What's wrong?" Michaela asked, trying to hold onto the last pieces of control.

"Shhh. Calm down. Everything is going to fine now," Colleen said, secretly hoping that what she said would be true. "Let me go get Andrew so you can discuss what happened."

Before Michaela could even say otherwise, Colleen was out the door. It wasn't long, however, before Andrew came following into the room. Immediately, he sat down beside the bed and started measuring Michaela's heart rate and pulse.

"Andrew? What's wrong? What aren't you telling me?" Michaela asked, frantic with worry.

Andrew set down his stethoscope and pulled a chair beside the bed, motioning for Colleen to do the same on the other side. "Michaela, you suffered some serious injuries from the fall. I'm concerned about what internal damage that may have caused, particularly from the broken ribs. However, I'm even more concerned as to what caused your fall. A healthy woman should not be having such spells as you have had these past few days. While examining your injuries, you experienced severe pain in your abdomen. At first, I thought it was from your ribs but the pain was more severe lower in your stomach. I did a more thorough examination and that's where I discovered what I believe is the source of the problems." Andrew paused, allowing the information he just told Michaela to sink in.

Thinking about he just said, Michaela racked her brain trying to come up with a reason. Putting the pieces together, she looked up with wide eyes brimming with tears. "I'm pregnant!" She asked. So happy and surprised with this unexpected discovery, Michaela nearly forgot the state she was in and the worry that could be seen in both her daughter and son-in-law's eyes.

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After riding hard for several hours, Matthew pulled his horse to a stop in order to refill his canteen. Looking down at the tracks he had been following, he was hoping that Sully would only be a few more hours ahead of him. If he kept his pace, and the light stayed with him a bit longer, he thought that he may be able to find Sully by sunrise.

_I sure hope I can find Sully. Dr. Mike needs him now. With everything that went on last year, he needs to be with her. He'll hate himself if he finds out she's in pain and once again he was absent._

In frustration with the situation and knowing the two people he has come to see as his parents were at odds with each other, Matthew swung back up onto his horse and once again set out at a fierce pace.


End file.
